Curtain-fixture.



P. A. HOUGHTALING.

- GURTAIN FIXTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1905.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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DNTTED STATES PATENT PAUL A. HOUGHTALING, OF RIVERTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CURTAIN SUPPLY COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CURTAIN-FIXTURE To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, PAUL A. Heuer-iranrNG, a citizen of the United States, residing in Riverton, New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements 'in Curtain-Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a novel device for frictionally holding a shade or curtain in a given position against the tendency of its spring roller to roll it up or raise it, more particularly having to do with that special type of curtain structures in which the lower portion of the curtain is provided with friction devices engaging-the bottoms of the grooves in the window frame in which the curtain operates.

One object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive structure designed to be applied to the lower portion of a curtain, which shall automatically hold said curtain in any given position against the tendency of its spring roller to raise it g it being also desired to so construct the device that its unauthorized removal from the grooves ofthe window frame will be prevented. These objects l attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure l, is a vertical section of a curtain rod and the heads or boxes carried thereby, illustrating the construction of one form of my invention, Eig. 2, is a vertical section of a curtain rod and one of the heads or boxes carried thereby, illustrating a modification of the invention, and Fig. 3, is a vertical section similar to that shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the various parts of the device in the positions occupied by them when holding the curtain and its rod in a given position against the upwardly acting tendency of the spring curtain roller.

Referring to Fig. l, of the above drawings, A represents a tubular curtain rod of the Well known construction, commonly carried in the lower portion of a curtain, and on each end of this is a spring actuated bar B carrying a head or box C; the spring l) for acting on each of said bars being held within the curtain rod in any desired manner. Rotatably carried within each head or boi: is a roller D having its spindle d journaled in the sides or cheek pieces of the boX and each roller has upon it what may be called a tire or tread CZ of resilient material. rPhis tread consists of an endless band of such length Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 29, 1905.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Serial No. 267,478.

that a definite portion of it, as d2, normally projects beyond or outside of a circular form and out of engagement with the roller. In other words, while the general shape of the tread is circular, it is so made that a certain portion of it does not engage or project beyond the surface of the roller D, though its remainder grips said surface frictionally with a greater or less force depending upon the design.

lt will be understood that under operating conditions a spring curtain roller constantly tends to move the curtain rod A and the heads O, with their attached parts, toward the top of the window frame, and if the curtain be not held by some external force, the roller D, and with it the tread d, will be turned until the projecting ortion d2 of said tread comes between the ro er and the surface D forming the bottom of the groove in the window frame. The two heads or boxes C are normally pressed away from each other into engagement with this surface by means of the springs l) and the resilient material of the tread is of such a nature and dimensions that when the roller has turned to the position above noted, its projecting portion d2 wedges or jams between the body of the roller and the adj acent surface Eof the window frame groove. This at once prevents further upward movement of the curtain rod and curtain. lf, however, external force be ap lied to the curtain rod to move it upward the roller D and its tread are forced to revolve, and the projecting portion d2 is temporarily compelled to assume a curved form concentric with the spindle l), while some other part of the tread d is temporarily forced away from the surface of .the roller D. As soon, however, as the roller has revolved suliiciently to cause the portion cl2 of the tread to pass out of engagement with the surface E of the window frame groove, said portion immediately assumes its former shape, and the temporarily distorted circular part of the tread again moves into engagement with the surface of the roller.

lt is of course to be understood that the structure of head described can be applied to other forms of rods or by other means be attached to the curtain without departing from the invention.

In order to prevent-unauthorized removal of the curtain rod from the grooves of a window frame, l may extend the ends of the heads or boxes C lso thatfthey project some distance above and below the rollers D, as indicated at c. lt will thus be seen that should the curtain rod A be inclined -to'the horizontal in an endeavor to remove it from thewindow frame grooves, an end c Aof each of the heads or boxes will engage the bottoms of the two grooves so that such removal cannot be accomplished under the usual or ordinary manner of manipulation. ln' that' form of my 'invention-shown in Figs. 2 and 3, l provide one or more spindles d3, which are preferably non-rotatably held in the heads or boxes C. Frictionally engaging the surface ofeach spindle is a split ring or cylinder d4 which vis fixed by `means of a pin d to a ring or roller d5 of resilient material in such'manner'that the'center of the spindie is eccentric to the center of said roller.

As in the case shown in Fig. l, it is kimmaterial as to whether the bars B are or are not movable 'relatively to the certain rod A 5 for, in any case, if the curtain be moved a short distance upwardly under the action of its springroller, the various parts will move from the -positions shown in Fig. 2 to the positions shown in Fig. 3. Since the distance between the centerline ofthe spindle and the surface of the bottom of the groove E is to allintents and pur oses invariable, the rotation ofthe roller 5, because of its frictional engagement with the surface E of the window frame groove, tends to move the split ring CZ'1 off of the said spindle. This tend ency, however, is vresisted by the'split ring, which is also of resilient material, and also by the rollerd5,'so that as a result said roller is pressed against the surface of the groove with sufficient force to prevent the continued upward movement of the curtain. It will be understood, however, that if external force be applied, the split ring d4 is further forced off of the spindle d3 and the spring roller d5 is distorted from vits normal `shape to permit of such movement, although when the curtain is released both of these parts act to prevent further movement of the curtain under the action of its s ring roller.

In'thecase illustrated) in Figs. Zand 3, l have vshown two' rollers in each of the heads or boxes, although it will be understood that this arrangement can be altered if desired, without departing from my invention.

I claim as my invention: Y

1. In a curtain holding device, the combination with a stick, of ahead at the end thereof, a rotatable member carried by and resiliently held in the head, a portion of the tread of said member being free, whereby the same'may be moved toward and from its axis.

2. A curtain holding device consisting of a 'curtain'rod, heads carried thereby, and revoluble structures carried by the heads, a

resilient ring having portions of its surface at differentdistances from the axis of revolution thereof mounted on each ofsaid structures and being otherwise free and unconnected, in combination with a guiding frame engaged by said resilient ring.

3. A curtain holding device consisting of a curtain rod, heads thereon, in combination with a guiding frame', substantially cylindrical rollers carried by the heads, and a tread, one for each roller, of resilient material engagin the surface thereof, a portion ofthe tread being out of engagement with its roller and rojecting beyond the remainder ofthe tread), substantially as described.

4. A curtainv holding device consisting of a curtain rod, and substantially cylindrical and revo'luble structures each having a resilient projection and carried by the ends of the said rod, substantially as described.

5. A curtain holding device consisting of a curtain rod, spring actuated bars carried thereby, each bar having a head, and a substantially Vcylindrical structure carried by each head, each of said structures having a resilient tread provided with a portion projecting for a greater distance from the axis of revolution of the structure than the remainder, substantially as described.

6. ln a curtain fixture, the combinationof a stick, a head at the end thereof, and a resiliently held rotatable member in the head adapted to engage the window frame, vsaid lmember having portions of its tread at different distances from its axis of rotation and adapted to resist rotation along the window frame.

7. ln a curtain fixture, the combination of a stick, a head at the end thereof, and a rotatable and resilient member mounted in the head adapted to contact with the window frame and having a projection for yieldably resisting rotation along the window frame.

8. ln a curtain fixture, the combination of a stick, a head at the end thereof, and a rotatable member in the head adapted to engage the window frame, a tread and journalv for the rotatable member, and a yielding engagement between the inner surface of the tread and its journal to yieldably resist rotation along the window frame.

9. In a curtain fixture, the combination of a stick, a head at the end thereof, and a rotatable memberI in the head adapted to vengage the window frame, a tread and journal forV the window frame, a journal for the rotatable,V

member, said rotatable member being resiliently connected to its journal.

11. In a curtain fixture, the combination with a stick, of a head at the end thereof, a journal in the head, a rotatable member adapted to Contact with the window frame having portions of its tread at diiferent distanees from its axis of rotation and uneonneeted therewith and adapted to resist rotation along the window frame, and a resilient engagement between the inner surface of the tread and its journal.

12. In a curtain holding device, the oomi bination with a head, a rotatable member on the head, having a yielding projection eX- tending beyond the regular surface of the rotatable member and adapted to be wedged between the body of the member and the window frame guide for interrupting the rotary movement of the member.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL A. 'HOUGHTALING Witnesses:

WM. E. SHUPE, Jos. H. KLEIN. 

